


Pokemon Scenarios: Hoenn Edition

by PukingPlatitudes



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: F/F, F/M, Imagines, Reader-Insert, Scenarios, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:21:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5454758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PukingPlatitudes/pseuds/PukingPlatitudes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've managed to catch the eye of your favorite trainer from the Hoenn region! But what exactly is that going to be like? (Includes player characters, rivals, gym leaders, the elite four, villains, and Zinnia!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pokemon Scenarios: Hoenn Edition

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> First off, thanks for clicking. I hope you enjoy the scenarios!  
> Second off, I've tried to include as many characters as possible, but if I missed your favorite just let me know!  
> Also, if you don't see the character you're looking for here, they might be included in the scenarios I've written for a different region, so don't forget to check there too!

  
【 **Brendan** 】

You had been a Pokedex Holder for quite some time before you traveled to the Hoenn region. Because of this, you were instantly instructed to go talk to Professor Birch. Allegedly, he'd have some tips for navigating the region, and according to (professor from your home region), he had a favor to ask of you. You didn't think much of it. In fact, things of the sort were pretty standard.

When you got to the lab, Birch said he was going to give you an egg he had received that he wanted to give to his son, who was said to be about your age and very interested in studying Pokemon. 

But when he came out from a side room of his lab, he wasn't carrying an egg. Instead, a Skiddo was trotting along beside him. When you asked what exactly was going on, the best explanation he could offer was "Oh, I uh... Guess it hatched..." 

_Really? Who would have guessed?_

So you were sent to Route 103, with a clearly happy little Skiddo frolicking behind you.

You finally found Birch's son - a dark haired boy hunched over a notebook by a pond, watching a Zigzagoon play with a Poochyena, who clearly just wanted to get a drink of water. You giggled at this, which is what caught the attention of Brendan.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." He chuckled. But then he noticed the Pokemon you had with you and his eyes lit up. "Is that... That's a Skiddo, right?" 

"Yep! And that's not even the best part." You smirked, watching him cock his brow. "She's a gift from your dad. He asked me to drop her off for him."

"Really?" His smile was contagious. He sat down, and called the Skiddo over to him. She happily listened and nuzzled his cheek. "Tell my dad thanks! And thank  _you_  for dropping her off!" 

"It really wasn't a problem."

"Either way, thanks... Uh... What's your name?"

"(Y/N)... You're Brendan, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. Are you a trainer?"

You just nodded.

"Awesome. I gotta go home for dinner soon, but what do you say to a battle tomorrow? Right here. About... Say... This time of day?"

"You're on."

 

【 **May** 】

"I don't get it..." Your friend began, lounging on a sofa in the Petalburg Pokemon Center. "If there are Pokedex holders all over the world, why do we have to complete the dex for a bunch of other regions?"

You shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they want a lot of people to do it then they compile the data or something?"

" _Ugh_." They sighed, rubbing their temples. "So what do we have so far from here? Are we missing anything?"

You flipped open your Pokedex, and pursed your lips. It didn't look like you were missing much from the first few routes of Hoenn that you had traveled through. The only issue you were having was finding people with the starters. "Well... We're good so far... Mostly."

And right about then, you were hit with the most inexplicable stroke of luck.

A brown haired girl who was walking by overheard your conversation. Her eyes lit up when she saw you and your friend, for reasons you weren't entirely sure of at first. She approached the both of you, a Torchic waddling along beside her. "Hi! You guys are dex holders too?"

"What gave it away?" You giggled, fidgeting with the Pokedex in your hand.

"Hm, I wonder." She replied with a cheeky grin. "So what're your guy's names? I'm May. And this is Toro." She gestured to the Pokemon beside her, who eagerly chirped at the introduction.

"I'm (Y/N)."

"Hm? Oh, I'm (Friend's Name)."

"Cool!" She paused for a moment, as if she was analyzing the both of you. "You guys aren't from around here, are you?"

"Nah. We're from (home region)." There was a pang of homesickness at the mention of where you were from, but as soon as it came it disappeared. "What about you?"

"I moved here a little while ago. But I started training when I got here. See, my dad got a job as a gym leader here and -  _crap_."

"What?" You were admittedly concerned.

"He wanted me to go stop in and see him on his break. I've gotta go! But I'll see you guys around, right?"

"Absolutely."

You really, really hoped so.

 

【 **Wally** 】

You had been staying in Verdanturf town for a while. It was long enough for you to become well acquainted with the other residents (not that there were many of them), but not long enough for you to grow bored of the place. Sure it was a sleepy town nestled away from most of the troubles of the world, but it wasn't as dull as one would expect.

One thing you learned while staying there is that when new things happen, word gets around fast. Something as simple as a trainer stopping in to heal their Pokemon could be taken as the most exciting thing to have ever happened. You had experienced it first hand when you were being constantly approached by locals on your first few days in the town. It was flattering, if not some what terrible and anxiety inducing from time to time - especially when it was late at night and all you really wanted to do was to go get some sleep.

So when your acquaintance, Wanda, said her cousin was coming to stay with her family for a while, it was no surprise the way everything blew up. Even  _you_  were feeling a little giddy about it... Even though you really didn't want to admit that the people there were rubbing off on you that bad.

She explained that he was "a little on the sickly side - but don't worry, it's nothing contagious". She also explained that he was rather timid. You didn't see much of an issue with either of those things, and were happy to meet him regardless.

You ran into him for the first time when he and Wanda were leaving the Poke Mart while you were on your way in. Wanda gasped with delight when she noticed you.

"(Y/N)! I was  _just_  talking about you! This is Wally, my cousin I was telling you about!"

The emphasis on her words was...  _Suspicious_ - to say the least. It seemed a bit like she was trying to... No... She wouldn't be trying to set you up with her cousin. That wouldn't make sense... She was probably just trying to help him make some friends, seeing as he was new in town. 

"Hey." You said, greeting him with a toothy grin. "How're you liking it here so far?"

"H-hi." His cheeks were turning a faint pink as the words caught in his throat. "It's nice... I like it."

"Hey, so uh..." Wanda butted in. "(Y/N), why don't you come over for dinner later? Dad's gonna cook a pretty big meal to celebrate Wally's arrival."

"Yeah, sure! If you wouldn't mind."

"It's fine by me." Wanda affirmed. "If it wasn't, I  _probably_  wouldn't have invited you." She giggled.

 

【 **Professor Birch** 】

The screaming you heard on Route 101 had you well under the impression that somebody was dying. Or, based on the amount of time that "Poochyena" was being mentioned (that you could decipher) in his hysterics, you assumed the stranger wasn't just dying, but being horribly mauled to death by a rather tiny and adorable Pokemon.

But judging somebody for not being able to handle a Poochyena seemed kind of asshole-ish, for lack of a better term.

So you took it upon yourself to go see what all the commotion was about, fully prepared to engage in a heated battle if needed.

What you saw was slightly less horrible than you anticipated. 

You came in to the situation expecting blood, and gore, and terror. What you got was a fairly pudgy middle aged man being chased in circles by an overzealous, but not entirely threatening Poochyena.

"Is... Everything okay here?" You asked, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. This wasn't really anything you had expected to come across in your travels, so you never really had any preconceived plans on how to deal with it.

"A-are you a trainer!? Please, help me!" He shouted, not sounding any less frantic than he did when there was nobody around.

"Yeah, I'm on it."

And you were.

Much like you expected, taking down the Poochyena was  _incredibly_  easy. But you weren't going to admit that and make this poor, slightly pathetic, and surprisingly adorable man feel any worse about himself.

"Thank you." He managed through heavy breaths. "I appreciate it."

"It really wasn't a problem."

"Well, allow me to repay you anyways." He said, his voice becoming more steady as he regained composure. "But here's not the place to talk. Come by my lab in Littleroot Town later... If you want to, that is."

"Sure! I'll definitely stop by."

 

【 **Roxanne** 】

You liked to think of yourself as a pretty competent trainer. You were well educated on type advantages, status effects, and had spent enough time in battles that you had gotten a pretty good grasp on different strategies as well. But that didn't mean you were an expert. The way you saw it, there was always room for improvement. And it was that mindset that brought you to the Pokemon Trainer's School in Rustboro City.

It wasn't the first Trainer's School you had gone to. In fact, you had visited quite a few before. But there was something about going into one of the schools where people were learning the basics that always seemed to inspire you. It was humbling, and a return to your roots. It brought you back to that day you got your first Pokemon, and were striving to learn as much as you could.

And you  _still_  wanted to learn.

You were sitting there in the school, with (fave Pokemon) at your side, as you skimmed through the pages of a book on berries, attempting to memorize their effects.

You had noticed the gym leader Roxanne come in a while before. She went around asking people what they were studying about, and was discussing the topics with them. Not like you were paying attention to that. Nope, you were fully absorbed in your book, which was infinitely more -  _shit she's coming over try to act smart_.

"Hello. I'm Roxanne, the gym leader here in town." The crimson eyed girl said, the corners of her lips curling up into a dainty, yet warm smile. 

"I'm (Y/N)." You replied, extending your hand for her to shake.

She took it. Her grasp was notably firmer than you expected.

"It's nice to meet you." She let go of your hand - leaving it feeling emptier than it did before she touched you. "May I ask what you're studying?"

"I'm just... Y'know." You flipped the book to show her the cover while you tried to remember the way words work. "Touching up on my berry knowledge."

"Touching up?" She giggled. "So, might I presume you've been training for a while?"

You nodded. "You'd be right."

"It's not often experienced trainers are willing to admit they have to touch up on old knowledge. I greatly admire that." You could feel your face heating up as she continued. "I'd be very interested in battling you sometime."

"Yeah! Sure. I'd definitely be up for that... Like as a league battle? Because I'm not registered for the league here yet and -"

"I was thinking more of as a friendly battle between peers."

"That works better. Much better." You sheepishly chuckled.

"I should be free this evening, if that works for you."

"This evening it is then."

You hated watching her walk away, as you tried to go back to the book on berries. But compared to her, they were just so terribly dull.

 

【 **Brawly** 】

After spending so much time wandering through forests and caves, you were happy to get a change of scenery.

Dewford was right on the coast, and you loved the feeling of stepping outside of the Pokemon Center and being greeted by the feeling of warm sand, and the cries of Wingulls as they flew overhead.

You could have been spending your time there training, but every time you tried you found yourself slacking off, spending time on the beach with your Pokemon. And after several failed attempts of buckling down, you decided that you were going to dub this whole experience a vacation. 

You had heard the gym leader was an avid surfer, but you never really saw him, let alone saw him at the beach. 

That is, until one warm Saturday evening, when most of the traveling trainers were headed for the far more bustling city of Slateport. 

He was heading towards the shore, a surfboard slung under his arm. He was with a group of people that you recognized as trainers from his gym. One of them said something, and you could see the group laughing. Brawly, in particular. There was something about him that was far more endearing than you expected. Whether it was the confidence in his step, or his unrestrained laughter, or  _something_... You weren't entirely sure. What you were sure of is that he was coming your way and you were about to get caught staring.

So you turned your head back to your Pokemon, who were playing in the sand.

"Hey!" A voice said - his voice to be exact. You turned to find him standing beside you with a wide grin plastered on his face. "Would it be okay with you if we did a little surfing here? Don't wanna bother you or anything."

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind." You replied, a smile to mirror his own.

"Sweet! I promise we won't annoy you too much."

" _Too much_? Oh, well that's a relief." You teased, earning one of those far-too-charming laughs from him. 

"We don't want to get your expectations too high."

" ** _Brawly_**!" One of his companions shouted, already in the water. "Are you going to surf or spend the rest of the night flirting?!"

Brawly rolled his eyes, that confidence of his waning ever-so-slightly. "I better get going. So I uh... I'll see you around then.... Uh...?" There was an uncomfortable pause as he made a vague gesture with his hand. You realized, after a moment, that he was implying he wanted your name. Although that wasn't nearly as clear as he apparently thought it was.

"(Y/N)."

"(Y/N)? Then I'll see you around, (Y/N)." 

 

【 **Wattson** 】

You had to admit it, Mauville City was impressive.

People said it used to look incredibly different before Wattson, the founder and gym leader, decided to do a complete overhaul on it a few years beforehand.

But you didn't care about that.

What you cared about was the fact that you had gotten incredibly lost in the sprawling city. Sure, there were directories, but every time you tried to follow one you'd get lost between the sign and the end of the corridor, even if you were trying your hardest to pay attention to where you were headed. All you wanted to do was get to the food court. You didn't ask for any of this shit.

Muttering indignantly to your Pokemon, who was walking along at your side and seeming just as confused as you were, you almost didn't notice the man walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. However, he noticed you.

"You're looking a little bit lost there." He observed, which was followed by a hearty laugh.

It didn't take you more than a second to realize it was Wattson. Even if you had never seen his face before, he fit the description you had been given of him to a T. 

"Heh. Yeah, ' _little bit_ '... We can go with that." You replied sheepishly.

This earned another laugh from the jolly man. "Take it that was an understatement then, yeah?" You nodded. "Where are you trying to go?"

"Just the food court." At this point, you couldn't help but giggle a bit yourself. It wasn't even because this situation was particularly funny. Maybe it was because Wattson's laugh was contagious, or maybe because you were so at a loss that laughing was the only thing you could do. Either seemed just as reasonable.

"Alright, come on." He grinned, gesturing for you to follow him.

You complied, walking along beside him as he lead you down the hallway.

"Sorry about this." You mentioned offhand.

"Don't worry about it!" He insisted, leading you around a corner that put you right by the food court. "It happens... a lot, actually!" He laughed again. "You know, I didn't catch your name."

"(Y/N)."

"Then the best of luck to you, (Y/N). I'll be seeing you!" He gave you a nod and left.

You just had to manage to make it a few steps to the food court without getting lost. Now  _that_  sounded like something you could manage.

 

【 **Flannery** 】

You had heard great things about the hot springs in Lavaridge Town, which is why the minute your travels brought you to the small town at the base of Mt. Chimney, you made the springs your first stop. Your friends you were traveling with decided to stop off at the local Poke Mart, but insisted that they'd join you soon.

That left you heading to the springs by yourself - if you're not counting your Pokemon, who seemed to be just as eager as you were.

You were right about to walk through the doorway to the springs, when you bumped into something - or, based on the surprised exclamation you heard on contact - some _one_. 

You stepped back to find a fire-eyed girl, who's fair skin was flushed from the heat of the springs, with drenched crimson hair. "Sorry! I'm so sorry." Maybe it wasn't just the springs causing her face to be so red, because she seemed to be incredibly embarrassed about what had just happened.

"Hey, it's fine." You replied, ignoring the fact that you were now covered in water where she had touched you. "I should have been paying more attention."

She shrugged slightly. "Yeah, but I wasn't really paying attention either." She eyed you intently before commenting, "You're a trainer right? New here?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome! I'm Flannery, the Gym Leader here." She stuck out her hand to you.

You shook it, noticing the grin spreading on her face. "I'm (Y/N)! I was actually planning on challenging your gym sometime soon."

"Really?" She crossed her arms, dawning a confident stance. "You think you have what it takes to beat me?"

Her words seemed self-assured, but there was something about the way she said it, or maybe it was the way she was holding herself, that made you wonder if she was as sure of herself as she was acting.

"I'd like to think so." You countered her own confident facade with one of your own, complete with a smug smirk.

"We'll see about that." Her front quickly fell as she began to giggle. "So I'll see you there sometime, right?"

"Hell yeah." Her excitement caused your smirk to falter, revealing a wholehearted smile. "Tomorrow, probably."

"I can't wait."

She waved, and took off out the doors of the Pokemon center. 

 

【 **Norman** 】

You hadn't expected to make your way through the Hoenn League so quickly. It wasn't that you didn't think you were a good enough trainer, because no matter how modest you acted you knew you had potential. It was just that you assumed that the League would be offering more of a challenge. All it took was some knowledge of type advantages and a little bit of training, and you had been able to wipe the floor with most of the Gym Leaders. Even trainers on the side of the road were posing more of a threat to you than they were - because with the other trainers you never knew what type of Pokemon they'd have on hand. It was more of a gamble than walking into a gym where everything had similar typing.

Norman's gym in Petalburg city seemed like it was going to wind up being the easiest of them all. You had heard from some of his former challengers that he only used evolutions of Slakoth. That didn't make him seem intimidating. That actually had the complete opposite effect.

You were standing there before him, with (Fave Pokemon) at your side. 

"I'm Norman, the gym leader. And I will do everything in my power as a Trainer to win." He said - as if he was trying to seem intimidating. "You'd better give it your best shot too!" Or... Perhaps he  _wasn't_  trying to be intimidating. It was a hard thing to determine. But you decided to ignore that confusion in favor of the battle.

You sent out your Pokemon against his Slaking - your heart racing with anticipation, not fear. You weren't nervous. This was nothing that you couldn't handle.

In fact, this was -  _okay. So **that**  Pokemon fainted..._

You sent out your next team member, who lasted just a little bit longer. 

Then the next... Then the  _next_... Until finally, your last Pokemon fainted, and you were standing there in shock. 

"That was a good battle. We both gave it our all." Norman said, recalling his Slaking and walking over to you. You wanted to reply to him, but the words were caught in your throat as you tried to process what had just happened. "You know," He began, placing a hand firmly on your shoulder, "I've been hearing great things about you from the other gym leaders. They've told me that they think that you're going to be the next champion."

Your distress over losing quickly dissipated. You looked up at him with wide eyes, trying to gauge whether or not he was lying... By the looks of things, he wasn't.

"Seriously?" You said, half-whispering in your astonishment.

"(Y/N), you're a force to be reckoned with... Train up a bit and come back whenever you want a rematch. I'm looking forward to it."

Those words of encouragement replayed in your ears as you nodded, determined to come back and do better.

 

【 **Winona** 】

There were a lot of questions you wanted to ask about the girl on the Transmission Tower in Mauville City.

The only thing you knew was that she was Fortree City's Gym Leader, Winona - and that was just something you overheard from a random person talking to their friend about her.

But that didn't answer anything for you.

How did she get up there?  _Why_  did she go up there? And above all, is she going to be okay?

It seemed stupid to be that concerned, especially when she seemed quite content perched up there, her eyes fixed on the horizon, but what if she  _wasn't_  okay? Or what if she was, but she wasn't going to be able to get down? Sure she was a flying type gym leader, but stranger things have happened.

So maybe you were being a little bit paranoid. But it was one of those things that seemed rational at the time. One of those things that provoked you to stand at the base of the tower, and call up to her.

"Hey!" You shouted, hoping desperately that your voice would be loud enough for her to hear up there despite all the wind. "Are you okay!?"

She turned and looked down at you, tiling her head slightly.

"Are you  _okay_?!" You repeated, enunciating every syllable as clearly as you could.

She mouthed the word "oh" before nodding, and giving you a thumbs up.

"Okay, just checking! Sorry to bother you!" You realized people were staring - and why would they? You were shouting at the top of your lungs to a gym leader on a transmission tower. It wasn't a very common sight.

"It's alright!" She replied, her voice barely audible. "I don't mind!"

There was a gentle smile on her face.

She was  _fascinating_. You couldn't deny it. But you didn't want to come off as weird by staring. So you offered her a nod and a wave before heading off, with a faint blush rising to your cheeks.

 

【 **Wallace** 】

You were back stage at the Pokemon Contest Hall in Lilycove City, watching your friend and her Pokemon prepare for a master rank beauty contest.

To say she was panicking about it would be the greatest understatement ever to grace the Hoenn region. She was absolutely  _hysterical_. There was nothing you could tell her that would ease her nerves as she raced around the room trying to gather up everything she needed. "This isn't my lipstick - whose lipstick is this? Where's mine?" She frantically asked, followed by "Did I have water back here? I thought I had water?  _Shit_." 

Sometimes you'd jokingly call your friend a mess - and it was just that. A  _joke_. But this was one of the few special occasions where that statement rang true. On one hand, you felt absolutely terrible for her and were offering to help in any way you could. On the other, from an objective standpoint the whole situation was kind of amusing. But you wouldn't say that. You were starting to get afraid to say  _anything_.

"(Y/N), could you please... Just...  _Ugh_." She accidentally knocked her eyeliner off the counter. "Could you run and grab me some water or something?  _Please_?"

"Yeah, sure." You replied with a nod, and scampered out of the room.

It was on your way out that you saw  _him_  - Wallace. He was your friend's greatest threat out of all other competitors. But that didn't mean you weren't a fan of his... Or, a fan of his face, more specifically.

He was standing in front of the vending machine while you were waiting behind him. Now, you could ignore the way you began to feel giddy - stifling that was easy enough. But your face was giving it all away. So when he turned around to walk away from the vending machine, he could see right through your calm facade. Why? Well, when your eyes are large and shining like that, and you're fighting off an over-excited smile, it's not really a challenge to figure out what you're feeling.

"Hello." He said with a knowing grin forming on his face. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Suddenly, it dawned on you. He wasn't apologizing about keeping you waiting on the vending machine. He thought you were waiting to talk to him. Sure, you wouldn't have minded talking to him on any other day, but you needed to get your friend water, and speaking of your friend if she found out that you were chatting with her opponent while running an errand for her you were going to have to sit through a whole lecture about "fraternizing with the enemy" and that  _really_  wasn't anything you wanted to deal with.

"Oh... Uh... I just needed to grab a water for my friend..." You managed. The amount of effort you had to put forth into sounding like you didn't care was concerning.

"Oh? Is... That all?" He cocked his brow, the confusion clear in his voice.

"Yeah... Pretty much." You replied before stepping up to the vending machine and putting money in it.

"I see. Forgive me, I thought you may have been a fan."

You paused for a moment, weighing your options. Finally, you came to a decision. "Usually I am, but my friend is competing against you today. I don't really feel like being skinned alive, so as far as today goes? I can't say I am." You giggled slightly, hitting the buttons for the water to drop.

He chuckled - the sort of chuckle that would normally make you weak in the knees but you wouldn't admit that. "Well, then perhaps I should speak to you later."

"That might work a little better." You grabbed the water and motioned to the hallway you had to walk down. "I'm gonna get going."

"I'll be seeing you."

He winked.

_Why did he have to wink_?

 

【 **Juan** 】

Watching the Pokemon Contest wasn't exactly what you wanted to do on your first day in Slateport. You had plans to go swimming, visit the oceanic museum, and maybe even stop at the marketplace and see what all was being sold. In fact, you had heard that this was the prime location to get incense in the Hoenn region which would benefit some future breeding you wanted to do. Rumor had it you could even purchase some harder-to-find TMs there.

So  _why_?  _Why_  did your friends think it was a good idea to go to the "Contest Spectacular" instead of checking out any of the other amazing things the city had to offer? 

Sure you could have gone to them alone, but that would have been much less enjoyable. So you were sitting there, blatantly displeased, waiting for the contest to begin. 

That was when somebody sat beside you. You turned to see who it was - a natural instinct for anyone.

He was familiar - with distinct black and white hair, and dark eyes that reminded  you of...  _someone_. But you couldn't put your finger on it.

He noticed you staring, and a smug smirk began to form on his face. "May I help you?"

_Shit_. "Uh... You just look...  _Really_  familiar." You cringed slightly at your own words. That definitely wasn't the smoothest save you could have managed.

He chuckled. "My name is Juan." He explained - the name rang a bell but you still weren't entirely sure who he was. "I am the one who taught Wallace all that he knows. I used to be the gym leader in Sootopolis before I handed the gym down to Wallace."

So  _that's_  why he looked familiar. "Ohh, okay. So I'm not crazy." You giggled slightly. "That's good news."

"No, not at all." He replied, his smirk becoming a genuine smile. "I get that quite often."

"Yeah, I'd imagine."

The lights dimmed, prompting both of you to turn and pay attention to the stage. 

 

【 **Sidney** 】

You were standing outside the small, rundown venue not far from Mauville.

Not many people ever bothered going there, and perhaps that was for the best. Pretty much everything about the building seemed like a health code violation and regulars often cracked jokes about how they were surprised it was still standing (though in the grand scheme of things, they didn't seem much like jokes). But the positive (aside from more likely a smaller death toll if the building ever finally gave out) was that people were able to actually socialize. They could sit outside, or in the entryway, and talk about whatever it was they wanted. Now, large concerts in crowded venues were fun, and always will be, but this venue made it fairly easy to make friends and meet people in situations that you normally wouldn't have.

Like Sidney -  the red eyed member of the Elite Four who was lounging outside the venue with his Absol sitting at his side. 

The show was over, and you were about to leave the premises and head back to the Mauville Pokemon Center for some rest for you and your team, when you walked by him... Or at least,  _tried_  to walk by him. That was your goal. But it wasn't every day you discover that a member of the Elite Four has the same taste in music as you. Also, you really wanted to go say hi to his Absol, but it would be much less bizarre to say "Hi, aren't you from the Elite Four?" than "Hey, can I please cuddle your Absol?" so you settled on the former.

"You're Sidney, right?" You asked, stopping in your tracks and facing him, gesturing with a vague point in his direction. 

"Yeah, that would be me." He replied - followed by a rather gravelly chuckle. "And who're you?"

"I'm (Y/N)." You replied, approaching him. You could see a smirk slowly forming on his face as you walked over to him.

"Cool, cool... So, you like the show?" 

"Hell yeah, I did."  _Was that too casual? Whatever._  "I've actually seen a few of the bands before."

"Really? Just as good this time around?"

"Def-"

" _(Y/N)_!" You turned to see your friends calling your name and waving frantically in your direction.

"Looks like your friends need you." He said, with a slight sigh at the end. "There's gonna be another show here on Wednesday. You coming?"

"Probably." There was a smile tugging on your lips. "I'm guessing I'll see you there?"

"If you're lucky." He laughed.

The playful twinkle in his eye was enough to keep the grin on your face for the rest of the night.

 

【 **Phoebe** 】

Mt. Pyre was one of your favorite places to train. Sure, by a lot of people's standards it was creepy, but you never really minded. In fact, you thought it was kind of peaceful, regardless of the ghost Pokemon and graves. 

You were nearing the summit when you heard a girl talking to someone - but you couldn't be sure  _who_. There were were no audible replies to what she was saying, but the way she was sounding made it seem like there was definitely a two sided conversation taking place. Curiosity got the better of you, and you picked up your pace.

When you saw the girl, your suspicions were proved true. There was nobody else on the summit besides the two of you... At least, that's what you assumed. But there was a creeping fear that maybe she  _was_  talking to somebody, and you just couldn't see them. This was Mt. Pyre after all, and the dead were as active as the living.

"I know, right!" The girl said with a laugh, followed by a pause, as if she were listening to somebody. You saw her tilt her head. "Really? Who?" Then she turned to face you. "Oh, hi! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Your jaw dropped. There was no way she could have known you were there. "How... Wait...  _What?_ " You had intentions of being polite, but at that point in time you were in a state of shock. 

"Is... Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I mean...  _maybe?_  I honestly don't even know anymore." You muttered, taking the moment to pull yourself back together. "Who were you talking to?"

She giggled as she realized  _that's_  what you were being so weird about. "Just a friend."

"... A... Friend?"

She turned back to where she was facing when you came across her. "It's okay, you can show yourself... Don't be shy."

A Shuppet eased its way into sight, clearly timid about the prospects of being seen. 

"You can talk to Pokemon?" This was one of those situations a person isn't really prepared for. So while you tried to remain calm, the astonishment found a way to show in your voice.

"Not all of them. Just the ghost types." She elaborated with a smile. "That's why I specialize in them."

"That's incredible...."

"I feel like it's something anyone could manage if they spent enough time with them."

The faint voice of a woman calling "Phoebe" rang out across the summit. You jumped - whether you wanted to admit it or not.

"Don't worry, that was just my Grandmother." The girl, now known as Phoebe explained. "So I've gotta go see what she wants. See ya!"

She darted off barefoot up the rest of the summit. 

 

【 **Glacia** 】

Seeing your breath indoors wasn't exactly the highlight of your day.

Actually, it was the exact opposite of a highlight. It would have been really nice if somebody would have warned you to dress a little warmer, but you figured that you were going to be battling the Elite Four, and that  you wouldn't  _need_  to wear layers like it was the middle of winter.

Maybe you should have seen it coming. There  _was_  an ice type specialist there, and that was a pretty good sign the temperature was going to be dropping at some point in your endeavor, but that didn't mean you had thought it through all the way.

So there you were, shivering in Glacia's arena as she slowly made her introduction. 

"Welcome. My name is Glacia, of the Elite Four." Her voice was cool and crisp as the air that filled your lungs. "I've traveled from afar to Hoenn so that I may hone my ice-type moves."

You were trying to listen to her - you  _really_  were - but it was hard to care about what she was saying when the very fluid in your skull felt like it was beginning to turn to an icy slush. Your saliva? Probably seconds away from freezing your mouth shut.

You hardly registered when the battle began, and when you did it was clear you weren't exactly in peak battling condition. 

You tried your best. And that's the most that can be said about that battle, aside from Glacia's comment of "what a shame" once it had concluded, and it was clear you had lost.

"Shame? What's a shame is that you don't have a working thermostat in here. I mean, how the hell are you even able to wear that dress?  _It's not even long sleeved!_ " You managed through a trembling jaw. "You know, I don't even wanna know. I'm just gonna go thaw out. I'll be back."

"With a vengeance, I assume?" Glacia said with a chuckle.

"You're goddamn right 'with a vengeance'. And with  _mittens_." You added, slowly shuffling out of the freezing hell you had just endured.

 

【 **Drake** 】

"Morning, Mr. Briney!" You said, peering your head through the door of the cottage by the sea, where Mr. Briney, an elderly, retired sailor lived. Though, as you two are fairly good friends, I'm sure you know him well.

"Ahoy, (Y/N)!" He greeted with a smile - the same smile he seemed to have whenever you saw him. "Come on in! I was just visiting with an old friend of mine here."

You entered the rather cozy little house to see another man sitting there with him - an older man, though younger than Mr. Briney - with stern features and a captain's hat atop his head. 

"This is Drake - he's a dragon type master in the Elite Four..." Mr. Briney began, the tone in his voice indicating that he was about to go off on one of his tangent-y stories. "But way back when, he was a shipmate of mine. I think I might have told you about him before. He-"

"Briney!" Drake interjected with a hearty laugh. "Don't make the poor girl suffer through this!"

Mr. Briney's laugh in response was similar - the kind so free and lively that you only do around your closest friends.

"Trust me, I've heard a few already." You giggled. "They're not  _that_  bad."

"A few?" Drake chuckled. "Well, let's hope they were all good."

You reflected back on the tales you were told of Drake and Briney's adventures together, and came to the swift realization that you had hardly heard a negative thing about him. Even in the stories where things were going horribly awry, you never really heard anything that made you dislike Drake. If anything, he had become more and more of an interesting character with every passing parable. "They were, actually. I think the real trouble is going to be living up to everything he said."

_Was this flirting? This felt like flirting._

"Really?" He replied with a sly grin. "What do you say, Briney? Wanna take 'er onto the open sea for a day? Properly, not just a trip to Dewford."

"That would be grand!" Mr. Briney affirmed. "What do you think? Would you be up for it?"

You pursed your lips. That would be pretty fun. But you did have to make a run to either of the nearby towns for some potions. That was the reason you were in the area to begin with. "Uh... Depends, when would it be?"

"Any time you like. Could be today, if you'd want." He grinned.

"I've gotta go to the Poke Mart real quick and grab some potions... Would later work?"

"Absolutely." He turned to look at Drake, who just nodded. "We'll be here!"

 

【 **Steven** 】

Granite Cave was a remarkable place.

Your friends didn't entirely understand why you had set aside the entire day for exploring it, but once you got in there you had no second thoughts about your decision. You hadn't seen anything else like it, and even just in the opening stretch you were taking your time to investigate every corner. 

Seeing a place like this, so shrouded in mystery and lore of the past,  was a once in a lifetime chance. Well, mostly. There were plenty of ruins and ancient caves throughout the world, but each one was so different from the next that you never had the feeling of "you've seen one, you've seen them all", because each felt so distinctly different.

Finally, your excitement got the best of you and you made a beeline for the steps. You ran down them, your footsteps echoing off the cave walls causing Zubats to flee.

As you stepped through the natural archway, you saw it - the mural that you had come there to see. 

It was far more impressive in person. The artwork looked aged, but not in the way that would imply it had been damaged, just the way it  _should_  look after being worn down for years. How many years? Nobody really seemed to know, and nobody was going to risk damaging it to find out.

Standing before it, gazing up, was a man. A man who, upon hearing your approach, directed his gaze from the mural over to you. "Hello." He said - his smile warm. "Who might you be?"

You approached him, your focus slowly changing from the high ceilings and ancient artwork to this stranger's face. It hit you, once you reached him, that it wasn't just a stranger, it was Steven Stone, the champion of the region. "Uh, yeah... Um.." You stammered, hit by a new sort of anxiety. You hadn't been prepared to meet anyone who actually  _mattered_. "I'm (Y/N)."

A warm chuckle left his lips. "My name is Steven. I'm interested in rare stones, so I travel here and there. Today, my journey brought me here. But what about you?"

"I like exploring."  _Smooth_. "Mostly caves and ancient ruins," you added, attempting to maintain some form of dignity. "I find them fascinating."

"Do you?" His gunmetal eyes lit up. "It's always nice to find someone with similar interests."

There was a faint beeping coming from his pocket. He sighed. "I'm most likely going to have to take this call. I do hope to see you again." He said before walking out of the chamber. 

There was a strange emptiness while you watched him go. Disappointment - you figured - over not being able to talk to him further.

Disappointment, because what were the chances of seeing him again?

 

【 **Archie** 】

You had heard of what was going down at the Oceanic Museum. That some strange group was surrounding the place, with more than a few muttering about waiting for their boss, and another several talking about stealing some parts. They weren't the most subtle criminal group, and admittedly you weren't even entirely sure if you were supposed to be afraid of a group of people dressed as pirates or not. Plenty of people were terrified, but you didn't get why. They didn't exactly qualify as nightmare fuel.

You were walking back from the Seahorse House with a cold bottle of soda in your hand after taking a break from everyone's panic, just to find that they were  _still_  at the museum. Electing to ignore this, you continued on towards the Poke Mart, when you collided with somebody, causing you to drop and spill your beverage on the ground. 

Now, somebody running into you isn't the end of the world. But somebody running into you  _and_  making you spill your drink? That's a different story.

You looked up to face the stranger, with a glare seething with rage hot enough to melt metal. 

"That's quite a fierce expression ya got there." The stranger said with a hearty laugh. "Don't suppose you're willin' to settle on 'sorry', eh?"

For some reason, you just couldn't stay mad at him. He was just so fucking  _lively_. Slowly, your lips betrayed you, and you found yourself grinning at the man. "I might be able to make an exception... Just this once."

There was a playful sparkle in his dark eyes. "I'm greatly honored you'd make an exception for me. I was afraid I might have to buy you a new one." 

"Well I mean, if you'd still want to I definitely wouldn't object to it." You caught yourself giggling slightly.

"Ahh...Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything." He smiled. "I'm just messin' with you, of course."

"Riiight. Sure, I'd believe that." You replied with a smirk.

"Hmph. I'll tell you what. I've got a bit of business to take care of over at the museum. Assumin' it goes over well enough, I'll find you after and replace your drink." He said, sounding surprisingly sincere. 

"I'll believe it when I see it." You responded - teasing, mostly. And it was clear he could tell by the way he laughed before ruffling your hair and walking off towards the Oceanic Museum.

And then the pieces fell into place. His odd attire, the "business"... He was the boss they had been waiting for.

Somehow, he was as un-scary as you could have expected.

 

【 **Maxie** 】

You were lounging in the Seahorse House, drinking soda and eating some ice cream (or some other frozen treat, if you prefer), trying to ignore all the trouble going on in Slateport.

People had been panicking all day about the strange group there in the Oceanic Museum, who were  _clearly_  up to no good. But apparently people didn't care enough to try and stop them, just enough to panic to one another as they went about their day. 

It struck you as stupid, really, that people would get that worked up and then do nothing about it, like, for example, call the police. Officer Jenny and her team would certainly deal with the issue so everyone could get back to their lives. But no, they'd much rather wait it all out.

Which is why you decided you weren't going to be bothered with it.

You were sitting there, happy, warm, and away from all of the - _fuck, he's not with them, is he?_

A red haired man walked in, wearing a uniform similar to the one that the strange people in Slateport had been wearing, though the biggest similarity aside from the far-too-red color scheme was the "M" on his jacket... Scratch that, there was one on either side of his chest.

And just like that your relaxing came to an abrupt end.

He seemed exhausted as he asked for some lemonade, then sat at a table adjacent to yours, muttering something about "hating the beach". 

People instantly started whispering about him, but his face gave little to no reaction - seeing as he appeared to look chronically annoyed anyway. 

"Is he with them?" You heard one person ask their friend.

"Has to be. Don't know why else he'd be dressed like that." The friend replied.

You stifled a snicker at that remark, but not well enough to keep him from glancing over at you with an irritated expression. "Sorry. It's just... Kinda true." You halfheartedly apologized.

"And by that you mean?"

"It's just not very subtle, is all." You were fighting back giggles, which lead to you feeling a touch more guilty than it should have.

"While that is true, I recommend that you avoid mocking it." He said through gritted teeth. "We're here on rather official business."

"I'll take your word for it." You smirked, throwing your hands up in a surrendering motion.

He grumbled something about "dealing with you later" before getting up and leaving.

And you were almost sad to see him go.

 

【 **Zinnia** 】

You were on your way towards Granite Cave when you saw her leaving and walking towards you - towards the shore.

She was a strange girl, with a striking appearance. You couldn't ignore her, but you still tried not to stare. Key word there being "tried", because regardless of your efforts your eyes wound up glued to her right up until she was walking directly by you, and by that point there wasn't any point to averting your eyes. That would just make things even  _more_  uncomfortable for both of you.

Of course, there's only a certain amount of staring that can be done before somebody feels obligated to say something. So of course, instead of walking by you as you had mentally prepared yourself for her to do, she stopped and faced you. "Hi! Are you on your way to see the mural in Granite Cave?"

"I'm actually on my way there to train. I've seen the mural a few times before though. It's never  _not_  impressive." You replied with a slight giggle. Not because your comment was funny, but because your heart was racing and your knees were weak and nervous laughter was the only thing you could do to keep from puking. Perhaps that was an exaggeration in the grand scheme of things, but that's exactly what it felt like at the time.

"Really?! I was just there myself. It is pretty amazing, huh?" There was something about her smile that was inviting, and contagious. You found yourself grinning right back at her. "The correlation between the primal reversion and the..." She trailed off, as if she caught herself bringing the chat to a place she wasn't sure it should go. "Sorry, don't mind me. Just rambling a little." The sheepish chuckle at the end didn't have you convinced.

There really  _was_  something peculiar about her.

"What's your name, anyway?" She asked, completely derailing from the previous conversation - before you'd even have a  _chance_  to ask about what she was talking about.

"I'm (Y/N). Who are you?"

"I'm Zinnia."

You repeated her name in your head, desperate not to forget it.

"I usually think it's best to keep first meeting short and sweet." She mentioned. "Most of the time, it's for the best. So, until next time!"

She gave you a nod and a wave before walking off, leaving you with a head full of questions you were too tongue tied to ask, as the crashing of the waves washed them out of your mind.


End file.
